I Killed Gods and Demons in Song Dynasty

Chapter 105 Recruiting troops
Unable to contact Mrs. Wei, the few of them had to give up for the time being and left Wuyou Cave and returned to Kaifeng Prefecture.

It was already evening, Xu Liang and Bai Yunrui each had official business to attend to, but Li Qingyun had nothing to do.

Moreover, Qiu Wang was dead, so he no longer needed Lu Zhen to check his spirit seeds. So he said goodbye to everyone and returned to the Hero Building of the Changle Gang.

The Juyi Hall was crowded at this time. Not only were the two deputy gang leaders and other hall masters there, but even Song Ke was sitting aside with bandages wrapped around his body and injuries.

Seeing Li Qingyun coming back, he was the first to stand up and salute, his expression extremely solemn:
"Song Ke greets the gang leader, thank you for your help!"

Li Qingyun heard him speak with full energy and thought that his injury was no longer serious, so he waved his hand and said with a smile:
"You should stay at home and take good care of your injuries. Don't run around everywhere. I'm here to protect you all. If anything happens, I will save you. There's no need to make a fuss."

After saying that, he remembered Xu Liang's destruction of the "Hua Long Chi" this morning, so he sat down in the main seat, tapped the table with his fingers and said:

"I have received reliable information that the Golden Wind and Rain Tower is about to be destroyed. You must quickly start recruiting troops and take over all their territory.

"If we want to expand the Changle Gang, we can't just guard our own little piece of land."

The destruction of Hualongchi by Kaifeng Prefecture happened last night, and it was a secret operation. Except for a few well-informed people in the underworld of Bianliang City, most people were unaware of it.

Is Jinfengxiyulou finished? Didn't they still make trouble in Changle Casino a few days ago? This... this is too unbelievable!
After hearing what Li Qingyun said, Yun Zhaozhong almost couldn't believe his ears. He subconsciously looked at Wei Xiuwen, who had the most seniority, hoping to get some response from him.

Deputy Gang Leader Wei looked at his own gang leader, his eyes filled with astonishment.

If it were a few days ago, he might have thought that this rogue boy was talking nonsense, but now, no matter what Li Qingyun said or did, there was a profound and unfathomable tone.

Not only did he single-handedly break into the Hongmen Banquet at Zuiyanglou, and kill a second-level warrior in front of Chen Jin and escape unscathed, but he also easily exposed all of his secrets, even his private life. This kind of deterrence even exceeded the former old leader of the Changle Gang during its heyday.

He said that Jinfengxiyue Tower was finished, and that was really the end, there was no doubt about it.

But the question is how did he do it?
In a flash, thoughts flashed through Wei Xiuwen's mind one after another, and he felt inexplicably frightened.

Chu Jinxiang, the head of Shan De Hall, looked at Song Ke, whose body was covered with bruises, and felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.

"Tang Master Song was wronged by Jinfengxiyu Tower, and the leader of the gang avenged him in such a big way. He is really courageous and enviable!
"How should I behave so that the gang leader will look favorably upon me?

"If I am bullied one day, will the gang leader protect me like this..."

Song Ke had already decided to follow Li Qingyun's lead and believed in his words without a doubt. When he heard such an arrangement, he admired his leader even more.

"So the gang leader had already made arrangements? He arranged everything in secret? It's true that if you don't make a sound, you'll be amazing!
"If we can annex the Golden Wind and Rain Tower, we will be able to gain a firm foothold in the East City. Even big gangs like the Xuanwu Pavilion and the Lotus Society will not dare to touch us easily!"

His lifelong ideal is to restore the Changle Gang to its former glory and become one of the largest gangs in East City, and he is willing to give everything for this.

Now, seeing that under the leadership of the new gang leader, the Changle Gang is about to take the first step towards dominating East City, his heart is extremely excited, as if his dream has come true.

Li Qingyun took in everyone's reactions, pointed at Chu Jinxiang and said:

"Master Chu is in charge of recruiting people. If you don't have money, come to me first and get five hundred taels of silver. If it's not enough, we can ask for more later.

"I only ask for one thing, that the people I recruit cannot do evil and must follow the rules. If I find out that you take advantage of this opportunity to let some unscrupulous people sneak into the gang, I will hold you, Master Chu, accountable."

Five... five hundred taels of silver to recruit soldiers and buy horses?

The gang leaders looked at each other in bewilderment. Such a large sum of money was enough to add another gang! The gang leader was indeed ambitious!
Their eyes unconsciously looked at Chu Jinxiang. Recruiting people has always been a lucrative job. A little bit of the 500 taels of silver could be equivalent to several months' salary.

These people are the best at observing people's words and expressions. They can see that those who have been close to the gang leader in the past few days have all benefited, so they naturally know what to do in the future...

Chu Jinxiang's peach blossom eyes widened, and even her breathing became a little faster. She felt that the burden on her shoulders was very heavy, but she thought that this was a good opportunity to show off in front of the gang leader, so she quickly said:
"Don't worry, boss. I will definitely handle this matter properly."

Li Qingyun nodded, and then said to Wei Xiuwen and Yun Zhaozhong:
"Two deputy gang leaders, quickly calculate how much money we still have. Before the government seals off the assets of Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower, we should quickly acquire those valuable businesses."

Wei Xiuwen opened his mouth wide:

"This... this will probably cost tens of thousands of taels of silver. Just for Zuiyang Tower, they will want no less than 10,000 taels."

Li Qingyun sneered:
"It won't take that much. Their leaders are probably preparing to flee now.

"Once you are wanted, the property deeds and land deeds in your hands will become waste paper. Instead of waiting for the government to seal and demolish them, it is better to exchange them for some silver. As long as you are willing to offer a price, they will be happy to trade.

"Use your connections as soon as possible and contact their top bosses. Move quickly and collect those valuable property deeds before other gangs do.

"Also, don't touch any business related to raising monsters for fighting. We want legitimate businesses like restaurants and gambling houses."

It turns out that Jinfengxiyu Tower has committed a serious crime, and it is related to monsters. Now the government is collecting evidence and preparing to hunt them down!

Wei Xiuwen had been in Bianliang City for decades and had rich experience in the martial arts world. When he heard Li Qingyun's words, he immediately understood what he meant and immediately had an idea. He nodded and said:

"I understand. If that's the case, it really won't cost that much money. But even so, several thousand taels of silver are indispensable. I don't have that much cash in the account."

Li Qingyun waved his hand casually:
"I can give you another 500 taels, plus the money from the public treasury. You can borrow whatever you need, and then find a way to pay it back slowly. With an old hen that lays golden eggs, why should you be afraid of debt?"

With the gang leader's approval, Wei Xiuwen immediately said:
"I understand. I will do this right away to avoid being overtaken by other gangs."

Li Qingyun nodded with satisfaction. He wanted to ask him to pay attention to Mrs. Wei's situation, but after thinking about it, he decided not to mention it for the time being to avoid implicating innocent people.

So he looked at Song Ke and said:

"Can you still walk?"

Song Ke immediately stood up and said firmly:
"Don't even mention walking, we can even go to the battlefield right now!"

Li Qingyun waved his hand and said with a smile:

"It doesn't have to be so serious. Just call the people from Luohan Hall and follow me. Just a dozen people will do for the sake of ostentation."

Song Ke said without hesitation:
"No problem, where are you taking us?"

Li Qingyun raised the corner of his mouth and smiled slightly:
"Where are we going? To occupy territory, of course!"

……

At dusk, the city of Bianliang is quiet and beautiful.

On both sides of the East Market Street, the blue brick and gray tile buildings are elegant in style. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, they present a light golden hue, revealing the vicissitudes of time and the precipitation of time, as if time has stopped here. Pedestrians stroll on the wide bluestone road, either hurriedly or leisurely. Whether they are wearing brocade and silk or naked, they are all integrated into one, without any sense of disobedience.

In the distance, the Bian River sparkled, forming a golden band of light, and occasionally the melodious sound of a flute or guqin could be heard, which was particularly peaceful.

Li Qingyun, with the thugs from the Arhat Hall, patrolled the streets aggressively. Under the guidance of Song Ke, they soon arrived at the territory of the Golden Wind and Rain Tower.

Business in Bianliang City can be roughly divided into three categories: official operation, gang operation and private operation.

Naturally, no one dared to harass official industries such as weaving, dyeing, salt and iron.

Most gang businesses are highly profitable, such as gambling houses, brothels and some restaurants, because these places are filled with all kinds of people, and it is difficult to maintain them without a background.

In fact, most of the businesses in Bianliang City were privately owned. Especially after the Northern Song Dynasty broke the boundaries between the market and the city, shops were spread all over the streets, and stalls and inns were everywhere, making the city very bustling.

Most of these businesses rely on gangs to run their businesses, both for safety reasons and due to pressure.

Every gang in the city, no matter how big or small, has its own territory and collects protection fees, called "head money."

The purpose of Li Qingyun's trip was to take the initiative and transfer the territory originally "protected" by Jinfengxiyu Tower to his own name, so as to expand the power of Changle Gang.

Generally speaking, doing so is a taboo. The underworld has its own unspoken rules. People who grab territory without any bottom line will arouse public anger.

After all, even gangs don't want the existing order to be disrupted, making everyone feel insecure and causing chaos.

This will affect everyone's efficiency in making money and will easily make things worse, attracting the attention of the government.

Therefore, Li Qingyun did not go door to door to persuade these bosses to change their business. Firstly, doing so would seem too unprofessional and damage the image and style of the Changle Gang. Secondly, it would be too troublesome.

He was waiting for an opportunity based on his divination, an opportunity that would allow him to maximize the publicity effect...

Just as the Changle Gang was strolling around, a burst of curses suddenly came from nearby:
"Didn't you just collect the 'first payment' at the beginning of this month? Why are you here to collect money again?"

"Don't go too far with the Golden Wind and Rain Tower. It's not easy for me to earn this little money. It's all hard-earned money..."

"What? It's easy for us to make money? If it's so easy, why don't you let your sisters come out and lie here to earn money?"

"You incompetent wimp, there are so many people on the street, and you dare to bully weak women like us..."

"..."

What followed was intense crying and loud, crisp slapping sounds.

Li Qingyun raised the corner of his mouth slightly and smiled evilly at Song Ke:
"Let's go over and have a look."

Several people walked through the alley and quickly found the source of the sound.

It was a small house on the corner of the street. Several men were standing at the door. One of them was grabbing the collar of a middle-aged woman and slapping her with his hand.

This is a brothel where old and ugly women who cannot find decent jobs gather.

In order to make a living, they have to sell their bodies and engage in sex trade.

When they were young, these women might be the celebrities in brothels or the socialites in prostitutes, attracting countless literati and young men to fall in love with them. They would spend huge sums of money just to see them, or even make a fortune just by moving their fingers or opening their lips.

But now their youth is gone, their glamour is gone, they are like abandoned pawns on a chessboard, ruthlessly ravaged by time, and can only eke out a miserable existence in the brightly lit street corners. Their eyes have long lost their original charm and agility, replaced by helplessness and sadness.

These helpless people at the bottom of society are the targets of exploitation by various gangs. They have no power to resist anyway, and even if they are killed, they are just an unknown corpse on the street corner, and even the inspection department is too lazy to intervene.

At this time, the woman who was caught was still cursing, her voice was shrill, mixed with crying and roaring, and all kinds of swear words were pouring out like a machine gun:

"You damned turtle, you rotten bastard, I curse your stinking ancestors for eighteen generations!"

"You're a cowardly, bullying, rotten-assed bastard!"

"I will make your body rot with sores, rot your tongue, rot your intestines, and make your whole body covered with pus and blood. You will die a miserable death!"

"..."

At the same time, the alley was already filled with women who were watching silently. Most of them were from the same industry, but due to the power of the local tyrants, no one dared to step forward to stop them.

Li Qingyun whistled, parted the crowd, approached the circle, and asked with a smile:
"What are you doing?"

The two thugs saw a young man coming and shouted:
"What are you doing? Don't even come and join in the fun!"

The smile on Li Qingyun's face grew brighter. He suddenly took a step forward, waved his hand in front of the two men's eyes, caught their gazes, and then lightly swept his leg forward.

Plop, ouch!

The two thugs fell down immediately, and then they felt their bodies lighten as someone grabbed the back of their necks and lifted them up like chickens.

With Li Qingyun's skills at the current level of spiritual cultivation, it was as easy for him to control these street thugs as playing with a baby. He gently exerted force with both hands and slammed the heads of the two thugs together, causing blood to flow from their foreheads and they passed out.

After dealing with the minions who were raiding the camp, he happily walked towards the man who was slapping the woman.

The leader of the Golden Wind and Rain Tower sensed something was wrong, and quickly pushed the woman away, looking at Li Qingyun and introducing himself:

"I am Jin Fengxi..."

Before he could finish his words, his eyes went dark and five slender and powerful fingers appeared in his field of vision, covering the sky and enveloping everything.

Immediately, an irresistible force came over and grabbed his neck like an iron clamp, throwing him to the ground.

Pfft!
Li Qingyun threw the man aside and put his toes against his chest. He was about to make a few sarcastic remarks when his eyes suddenly fixed.

He found that the little leader was wearing a piece of flawless jade on his waist, which seemed familiar...

……

(End of this chapter)